To catch them all!
by Tabor Shannon
Summary: Thuler Pendragon never received a Pokemon when he turned 10, mostly because he has a streak of insane bad luck. When he finally does obtain one at the age of 16 due to his first break of good luck, his life is suddenly changed, for better or worse, quite permanently as he travels Unova meeting interesting Pokemon and people.
1. Introduction

**Hello, fanfiction! It's me, Tabor, back again. I'm sorry to say that for unspecified reasons, my other story, "The Death Game," is going on hiatus until the summer, maybe earlier. On a side note, however, my graphing calculator was re-purposed into a DS simulator with the Pokemon White rom installed. After screwing around a little bit, I thought it would make a pretty good game to do a narrative playthrough of. The story starts off a bit different from the game, but it should stay as close as possible after Accumula town. This of course does not include things I add to make it more of a narrative playthrough instead of just a play by play of my Pokemon playthrough.  
**

**Therefore I give you: "To catch them all!"**

"Well?" Professor Juniper asked, walking into the house .

"Well, what?" Asked Casey Pendragon.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"It's a boy," Casey said, pushing a bang of brown hair back behind her ear.

"What's his name going to be?" Juniper asked, watching as Casey showed her the infant. A small shock of honey-colored hair sprouted in tufts from his head. Juniper's light blue eyes met the child's red eyes.

"Thuler."

"That's an odd name."

"It's Luther, but crisscrossed."

"You've always had a flair for the dramatic," Juniper said.

"I hope he inherits it, " Casey said, smiling. "It makes life that much more fun."

**This might seem like an odd way to start the story. Don't worry. There's a reason why this chapter is so short. Note that it's named "Introduction." This is because it covers everything that happens in the introduction of the game. Notice as well that the next chapter is named Nuvema Town. This chapter covers everything that happens in Nuvema Town. If you still don't understand this, just go along with the story. This chapter was a bit dry, but the next one is, as you may find, a bit longer and has the advertised humor. Cheers!**


	2. Nuvema Town

**Day 1**

Thuler Pendragon would grow into a young boy whose name above anything else alienated him. It started with the unusual name, causing other kids to constantly make fun of him. This also made it a taboo to be seen around him not making fun of him. The taboo began to be seen as unreasonable, the reason for which two boys began to make up excuses for. He picked his nose. He peed his pants. And many other things like those. In the end, the final nail in the coffin for Thuler's social life would be his horrible luck. It started real subtle-like, such as the time he got sick on the day they were going to a Pokemon breeding center. One kid merely remarked that it was horrible luck and that was that. But when he failed a test because he spontaneously fell asleep and to top it off he had a wet dream, the kids began to murmur about it. Then he got tackled by a Bidoof OUTSIDE the tall grass, that was it. Thuler officially had horrible luck.

The end result was that kids didn't just avoid him because of his name or the lies, but also because they were afraid that if they spent too much time with him his bad luck would rub off on him. Life, however, seemed to finally lighten up for him when he turned ten, ready to receive his first Pokemon. Now, while he had inherited nothing from his mother, she always reminded him that he had inherited his father's red eyes. There was something else he inherited from his father: The universes tendency to turn them into its chew toy. As fate would have it, the Tepig destined for Thuler drowned alongside his father in a terrible fishing accident. As if to add insult to injury, he got lost precisely at the same time and wasn't found until three days later, in a cave, being supersonicked practically constantly by Zubats. When he asked why they hadn't found him sooner, the answer from the rest of the town was that they hadn't noticed he was gone. From then on, he was known as the kid without a Pokemon, since he never received a Pokemon when he turned ten.

Sometimes, however, his bad luck actually had some spots of good luck, a port in a storm, if you will. Most notably there were his two friends: Bianca and Cheren. Cheren had been his friend ever since they were both alienated for different reasons, while Bianca was their friend mostly because she thought the two boys deserved a chance. They spent a great deal of time together, and often wandered off on their adventures. Thuler never went alone, mostly because he didn't have a Pokemon and previous occurrences indicated that he would get attacked by wild Pokemon practically immediately. Time passed, and many things didn't change. Bianca and her father started a restaurant, Cheren began to study to become a Pokemon breeder, and Thuler took a job at the Pokemon center. A man that sold Magikarps and other Pokemon occasionally wandered through town, though, and Thuler was bent on saving up enough money to buy one. There was just one problem. Since his father no longer provided the income for their family, Thuler and his mother had to pool their earnings together, leaving him very little spending or saving money.

One day, however, Bianca had a brilliant idea: Bianca or Cheren could weaken a Pokemon and Thuler would use a Poke Ball to catch it.

"Mr. Harvey! Mr. Harvey!" Thuler called out as he entered the Poke Center. "How much for a Poke Ball?" Thuler had grown into a young man of average height and a sturdy but not large build. He tended to wear cargo pants, a black hoodie, and a dull red shirt underneath. He still had his Poke Ball pouch, expectantly waiting for six long years to have a single Poke Ball placed in it, but waiting faithfully nonetheless.

"Uh... $300. Why do you ask?" Mr. Harvey asked. His deep voice clashed almost comically with the previous noise of Thuler's slightly childish voice. He was a jolly, balding man whose Psyduck accompanied him every day on the counter. Said Psyduck tilted its head even more in confusion as to why Thuler, infamous for not having a Pokemon, would want a Poke Ball.

"I'm going to catch a Pokemon!" Thuler said with his mouth in a broad smile. The smile faded slightly as he thought. "Well, actually, Bianca or Cheren are going to weaken it, I'll just chuck the Poke Ball at it."

"Ah, nice to see some teamwork amongst our youth." Mr. Harvey said.

"Psyduck." The Psyduck agreed.

"Well, here you go Thuler. Tell you what, since you work here and I know you're short on cash, it's only $200."

"Thanks, Mr. Harvey!" Thuler sighed inwardly. He could've blown all of his money on that Poke Ball. Mr. Harvey gave him a Poke Ball and Thuler gave him a wad of bills. "Oh, boy! I hope it's a fire-type!" Thuler hopped up and down as he left the store, too absorbed in his Poke Ball to notice all the merchandise he knocked down as he left.

"That boy is way too excitable for his own good." Mr. Harvey sighed as he picked up the scattered items. He muttered a silent prayer that Thuler's usual bad luck would cease or at least abate once he got a Pokemon of his own. As it would turn out, he should have asked for the bad luck to abate _before_ he got a Pokemon as well.

"Bianca! Cheren! Where a-" Thuler started, but never finished. A Purrloin dashed across the street, causing Thuler to trip over it. The Poke Ball, clutched in his hand, was released as his jaw hit the pavement, cracking it. It took him a few seconds to black out, but in those few seconds, he watched the Poke Ball roll downhill into the river. As was usual with his bad luck, insult was added to injury as the Purrloin, in payback for practically getting kicked, took his wallet and all of his savings with it.

.

. **One week later.**

.

"Mrs. Pendragon! He's awake!" Thuler heard Bianca's voice say. "Hi, Thuler."

"The Poke Ball!" Thuler said, getting up in a hurry, only to dizzy himself from the sudden rush of blood to the head.

"You might not want to do that, especially once the anesthesia wears off," Bianca said. "You've been out for a week." Thuler groaned. "By the way, what Poke Ball?"

"Remember how you said you would weaken a Pokemon for me?"

"Yeah. Oh no..."

"I tripped over a Purrloin and it fell into the river." Thuler looked down. "I guess that's it. Another six years of work before I get enough for another one... Well, maybe three if Mr. Harvey is willing to make a discount again."

"Hey, you can have my Tepig if you want..." Bianca said, biting her lip and looking away.

"Wait, what?!" Thuler exclaimed, getting up and dizzying himself again. "Why would you do that?! It's _your_ Pokemon!"

"Not anymore, my dad wants me to get rid of it. He says it encourages my fantasies of being a Pokemon trainer. Besides, he's still just a Tepig while Cheren's running around with his Servine. I'm not taking good care of him, and it's evident he doesn't like me." Bianca's left eye began to glisten a little. "He says I'd never make it to the level necessary to live off of it and it makes more sense to become a waitress and cook since it's a steady and well-paid job. People will always be hungry after all, he says."

"Bianca, I promise you, you will be able to keep your Tepig and follow your dreams." Thuler grabbed her hand, prompting her to look up at him. "Hide her or stall your father long enough so I can talk some reason into him." Her green eyes met his dull red eyes, suddenly filled with flame, and felt as his hand squeezed her own tighter. "I promise." Thuler's smile, while deadened by the fact his mouth was lightly anesthetized and had a cast because of his cracked jaw, was completely honest, and held true to his promise.

.

. **Three days later.**

.

Thuler sat by the pond, his Good Rod in hand. Some guy had given it to him when he arrived at the Poke Center, and Thuler had used it to fish (duh!) ever since. This pond in particular had three Magikarp, all of them named by Thuler. They seemed rather passive and let themselves be caught when his mood was low. They also never tried to splash him and seemed rather cheerful when he caught them. The oldest was named Shipwrecker, the other one Kraken, and the last one Moby Dick. Sometimes he came here because he was bored, other times because he just wanted to ask Shipwrecker, probably the wisest because of his apparent age, for advice about life. In this instance, he had come for the latter.

"So, what should I do?" Thuler asked, holding up Shipwrecker to eye level.

*Gasp* *Flails tail* *Gasps again* Shipwrecker said.

"I'm sure that was the solution to all of my problems right there. I wish I spoke Magikarp..." Thuler said, letting Shipwrecker slide back into the water from his hands. Thuler cast his rod again, only to watch a confrontation between Kraken and Moby Dick as to who would get hooked next. Surprisingly, Moby Dick won and Thuler pulled him out. "What was that about, buddy?"

*Gasp* Moby Dick said. *Gurgle*

"Huh?" Thuler said in surprise. "Kraken?!" Kraken had splashed himself out of the water, his mouth swollen with something. "What's in your mouth?" Kraken spit out a red object, then flopped desperately into the water. Moby Dick followed him after Thuler put him down. "A- a... Poke Ball?! What?! Yes! Wait-" Thuler watched the light glimmer across its surface, "- it's battered... Is it the same one?" Thuler looked up at the sky. "Really? It took you this long to give me my first break?" Thuler looked down at it and saw that the little light indicated there was a Pokemon inside. "After all these years... _One_ instance of good luck, heck, even just luck that wasn't bad." Thuler launched the ball up and caught it again, then raised it to his eye level. "Whoever you are," Thuler said, looking at a tree to give himself a target, "_I choose you!_"

Thuler threw the Poke Ball, watching it pop open and the reddish glow form into a bipedal shape with a circular head, two triangles on the top, with some bubble shapes around its neck. A rudder-like tail and a sea-shell were also present in shape and it was enough for Thuler to realize what Pokemon it was.

"No... Not you..." The Oshawott turned and looked at Thuler, a smile bright on its face. After all, it now had a trainer. "You're not a fire-type." Thuler's shoulders slumped, followed by the Oshawott's. The Oshawott withdrew its scalchop and chucked it at Thuler, hitting his head. "All right, all right." Thuler rubbed his head, looking at the Oshawott's impish smile. "First things first," Thuler said, picking up the Scalchop. "I'm the trainer, _I'm_ boss."

"Oshawott!" The Oshawott agreed, running up to receive its scalchop. Thuler bent down and gave it to him.

"Next, you will assist me in an epic quest I have undertaken." Thuler said, looking at the Oshawott. "We have to go to the castle of Much-Cooking, verbally spar with the great Dragonite Alan, and release Bianca the damsel in distress from the fell clutches of a life of cooking and catering." The Oshawott looked up at Thuler, blinking a couple of times. "I have to help a friend convince her father that Pokemon are good." Thuler said, rather flatly. The Oshawott still looked confused. "Come along." Thuler started walking back to town, when he suddenly remembered something. "Thank you, Kraken! Shipwrecker, Moby Dick! I'll never forget how much you've helped me!"

*Gasp* Said Moby Dick.

*Flail* Kraken smiled.

*Splash* Shipwrecker winked.

"So long! Swim up a river or something!" Thuler called out, sprinting back. The Oshawott charged along, trying to keep pace and succeeding to some degree.

.

.

.

"Bianca! Bianca!" Thuler yelled, running into the restaurant. Bianca looked up, interrupted in taking her costumer's order. "Oh, finish that up." Thuler waited for her to finish scribbling down the order, then walked up to her. "Guess what? I found the Poke Ball!"

"What?! That's amazing, Thuler!" Bianca said, waving her hands excitedly. "That means you can go and explore the world!"

"But not while leaving you behind, here," Thuler said. "I made you a promise about your father. I intend to keep it."

"What is this ruckus about?" Bianca's Father, Alan, asked. "What's that thing doing in my restaurant?" Alan pointed at the Oshawott.

"It's not a thing, it's my partner. And it's name is..." Thuler stared off into space for three full seconds. "Is... is... Kichi! Yes, his name is Kichi! And Kichi is a him, not an it."

"It's a Pokemon, a mere thing people use to mindlessly entertain themselves with." Alan said, crossing his arms. "Did you come to give it to Bianca? She's already got one of those _things_."

"Pokemon aren't things, they're animals, pets, partners, _friends_." Thuler said. "And even then, regardless of who or what they are, Pokemon can help a person fulfill their dreams, see the world!"

"They're distractions that lead to unsound fantasies." Alan said. "She needs to set her sights on something more feasible, something that can support her and any other people she chooses to support. It also helps her acquire skills that are actually useful in life."

"Mr. Harvey has a Pokemon and he has a good business." Thuler answered back.

"Because it's the only Poke Center near here. People have nowhere else to go," Alan said snidely.

"If you must object to the Pokemon, do you have to object to her dream?" Thuler pleaded.

"Her dream?"

"To see the world, to travel it all, to meet interesting people," Thuler took special care to not mention Pokemon, "people with whom she can forge a life, friends, a spouse, even."

"And you would have her accomplish this through Pokemon?" Alan asked skeptically.

"I would have her accomplish it through any means necessary," Thuler said, eying Alan evenly, "if she chooses Pokemon, so be it. Her heart is telling her to see the world, and it is its desire. I believe you should trust your heart. It's a tireless and diligent worker, never once stopping until life itself gives out. It loyally keeps you alive, never once skipping a beat."

"Very well. She can do whatever she wants with her life on one condition: You must defeat my Pokemon with your own."

"What? I thought you said Pokemon were useless."

"This is a memory from my childhood." Alan said, withdrawing an old Great Ball from his pocket. "I followed my heart, as you said, and my life was crushed. It was by the grace of my father I was able to work at this restaurant and inherit it." Alan launched the ball, releasing a Bayleef. "If you win, an impossibility in this case, I will allow Bianca to roam the world. But when she comes back, her dreams crushed and her hopes wiped, I will hold you responsible, and so will she, for putting her through this." Kichi looked at the Bayleef and gulped. But Thuler saw something that neither Kichi nor Bianca saw, and Alan probably knew but ignored. The Bayleef, judging by its bitter manner and the way it glared at Alan, _hated_ its owner.

"You, Bayleef." The Bayleef paid attention to Thuler. "Before this battle begins, I want to let you know that your owner is keeping this girl against her will, and that your victory will ensure that remains her fate." The Bayleef turned ponderously to Bianca, then back to Thuler, then looked at Kichi.

"As if the stupid thing could understand human speech. It only recognizes the sound of words associated with commands. Humph. Bayleef, Razor Leaf!" Thuler knew better than to use a water-type attack, so he had to go with what the Oshawott probably knew.

"Kichi, Tackle!" Thuler ordered. Kichi withdrew the scalchop and charged at the Bayleef, who promptly sat down and took the blow.

"Bayleef! I said Razor Leaf!"

"Kichi, Tackle!" Kichi struck again, giving the Bayleef a minor headache.

"_Razor Leaf_!" Alan barked.

"Tackle!" Thuler ordered. The Bayleef, however, was nobody's toady, and decided it would rather make everyone miserable if it was miserable already from the headache. A volley of leaves slashed at Kichi as the poor Oshawott charged in to tackle. It would probably been a one-hit KO, but when Kichi fell, he took one look at the owner who had already evidenced greatly his love for Pokemon, the girl he was trying to help, and the father who was trying to restrain them both. It placed one paw on the ground, then used it to push itself up, and stood on a trembling hind leg and the knee of the other. All of the emotion was too much for the Bayleef, who decided it wouldn't have to be hit if it just acted like it had fainted, so it did.

"What?! Get off your fat bum!" Alan roared at the Bayleef. Kichi stood up, victorious, and looked at Alan.

"Osha-_wott_!" Kichi exclaimed, and chucked his scalchop at Alan, knocking the man out.

"Whoa, whoa, not cool, man." Thuler said, picking up Kichi. "Bad, Kichi, bad!" The Bayleef had gotten up and was now sitting on Alan's chest.

"Father!" Bianca exclaimed, wrestling the Bayleef off of Alan. "Are you okay?"

"Get that watery git out of my restaurant right now! Out with the Mudkip or whatever it's called!" Alan roared. The Bayleef turned and smugly saluted Thuler.

"Alright! I won my first fight as a trainer!" Thuler exclaimed. "Oh, Bianca. You're free! Get Tepig out and go explore the world."

"Maybe after I finish this week's work..." Bianca watched as her father berated the Bayleef. "I might be able to get the Bayleef from my dad, the poor thing deserves better than being trapped in a Poke Ball until he needs it again." Bianca hugged Thuler surprising both Thuler and Kichi. "Thank you, Thuler, I'll never forget this!"

.

.

.

"Mom! Mom! I have a Pokemon!" Thuler exclaimed, bursting into his house.

"What? How did you get it?" Cassey asked.

"A Magikarp had it in its mouth," Thuler began, knowing people thought it was funny he had named them, "and it gave it to me. Turns out it must have been triggered at some point and it caught an Oshawott."

"Sweety, I'm so happy for you!" Cassey said. "You know what, when I was younger, I traveled the world, seeing all sorts of different sights and Pokemon. I think every person should do it at least once." Cassey's eyes welled up with tears. "Oh, Thuler, I'm so excited. Here, have this pack, and these shoes, and have some food, and-" Cassey began to frantically pile up assorted items into her son's arms. Thuler was sure she was about to put his bed in there.

"Mom, mom, I'll be fine." Thuler said. "All I need is the bag. Also, I want you to have this." Thuler gave her a piece of paper with a code written on it. "It's the code for my personal bank account. Whenever you need money, feel free to take it from there."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that. I'm sure I won't need as much money once I don't need to feed you anymore." Cassey joked.

"I'm going to miss you so much." Thuler said.

"I'll miss you too." Cassey looked at her son's belt. "You've got your Pokemon, an Xtransceiver, a bag, and some brand new shoes. Oh, here's a town map. I marked all the gyms. The closest one is Striaton City. If you ever need any information, just call me. Also, visit me every once in a while, I'd love to see all the Pokemon you've captured."

"I will, mother." Thuler hugged Cassey. "Next time I come back, I'll be part of the Elite Four."

"Just don't kill yourself getting there." Cassey said.

"Goodbye, mom!" Thuler said, walking out. Night had fallen, and Woobat had begun to fly about. "Goodbye, guys! I'll miss our one sided conversations!" Thuler walked over to the pond and said goodbye to Shipwrecker, Kraken, and Moby Dick. Their gasps were so emotional. Thuler placed his feet on Route 1, "Oh yeah. Get ready world, Thuler's coming at ya!" His red eyes flashed, his grin widened, and he stepped into the tall grass. He would start his journey with both of his dad's defining characteristics showing themselves very early on. His red eyes gleamed with joy as he took his second step, and was promptly dogpiled by about fifteen Patrats, ten lillipups, and as if the universe just wanted to show how much it hated him, the Purrloin that caused him to trip sat atop the whole groaning pile and began to lick its paws, a wallet in its forepaw.


	3. Accumula town

**Day 2**

"All right, let's see what you know," Thuler said, sitting cross-legged in front of a small patch of grass they had cleared. "Tackle!" Thuler ordered, Kichi complied and tackled the Purrloin dummy they had rigged. "Tail whip!" Thuler ordered, Kichi wagged his tail at the dummy. "Water gun!" Thuler ordered, and Kichi fired a burst of water at the dummy, knocking its head off. "Water sport!" Thuler ordered. Kichi thought for a moment, then turned towards Thuler.

"OK, now we know where to begin," Thuler said. "I'm going to teach you water sport, it's a move that weakens fire-types. We'll use it as a surprise against Bianca next time we see her." Thuler winked, and Kichi returned it. "Now... fire a burst of water up into the air." Kichi complied, and watched the water fall around him. "Because of all the water in the air and covering you, fire's effectiveness is reduced," Thuler explained, "and you take less damage."

"Oshawott," Kichi said, plopping down to look at Thuler.

"Oshawott, indeed," Thuler said. They were approaching Accumula Town, but Thuler had mostly just stuck to the outskirts, training his Pokemon. He hoped it would be strong enough for whatever was to come. Thuler walked into town, heading to the Poke Center and healing Kichi. "You've grown a lot stronger already, buddy," Thuler said, "I think we should head for a gym soon." Thuler was walking out, when he saw a crowd gathered around the town square.

"My name is Ghetsis. I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokemon liberation." Thuler heard a voice say. Going into the crowd revealed a robed man standing in front of a line of armor-clad men and women with an odd symbol on their capes. "I'm sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokemon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other. However... Is that really the truth? Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans... only assume that this is the truth?" Thuler felt a slight heat begin to boil in the back of his throat. What was this guy saying?

"Pokemon are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers... They get pushed around when they are our 'partners' at work... Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?" Thuler found himself at loss for words. But how could a Pokemon not want or need their trainer? Kichi, barely with him for about ten hours, had already developed a bond to some degree with him. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokemon are different from humans. They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokemon?"

"Liberate them?" A familiar voice thought out loud. Thuler turned sideways, and sure enough, there was Cheren.

"That's right! We must liberate the Pokemon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokemon truly be equals." The man took Cheren's answer enthusiastically, but Thuler and a few other crowd members heard the sarcasm in Cheren's voice. "Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokemon... and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention," Ghetsis said. Ghetsis and his armor-clad men and women promptly left, leaving the crowd to disperse.

"Your Pokemon... Just now, it was saying..." A green-haired man said.

"Huh?" Thuler asked, turning around in confusion.

"Yes, they're talking. Oh. Then, you two can't hear it, either... How sad. My name is N."

"Nice to meet you, N... I guess," Thuler said. Cheren nodded in confusion.

"So, you two are trainers?" N asked.

"Yeah, we are," Cheren said.

"So, you're going to go around, confining many, many Pokemon in Poke Balls on your quest to become the champion? I'm a trainer, too, but I can't help wondering... Are Pokemon really happy that way?"

"I dunno," Thuler said, "Kichi here doesn't like being in his Poke Ball. Guess he likes the scenery too much."

"Technically, Poke Balls are constructed to provide the perfect environment for the species of Pokemon it just caught and create a place of rest and comfort for it," Cheren said, "so I guess they're happy in there."

"Well, what are your names? I've already given you mine," N said.

"I'm Thuler," Thuler said, "and this is my Oshawott, Kichi."

"I'm Cheren," Cheren said next to him, "I have a Servine and a Lillipup."

"Well, Thuler, is it? Let me hear your Pokémon's voice again!" N said, withdrawing a Poke Ball.

"Sure, why not? Ready, Kichi?" Thuler asked, grinning.

"Osha-_wott_!" Kichi exclaimed.

"Purrloin, go!" N said, launching the Poke Ball. A Purrloin came out, and Cheren looked at Thuler and Kichi, baffled. It seemed as though their rage could hardly be contained at the sight of that Pokemon.

"Kichi, -" Thuler began,

"Purrloin, -" N started,

"Water gun!"

"Dodge!" Kichi's burst of bubbling water chased after the dodging Purrloin, who leaped over it time and time again.

"Scratch!" N ordered.

"Dodge and tackle!" Thuler barked. Kichi took a step back, the Purrloin's claws swiping within inches of his face.

"Osha-" Kichi began, withdrawing his scalchop, "-_wott!_" The scalchop smacked Purrloin across the face, knocking him back.

"More!_ Let me hear the voice of your Pokemon!_" N exclaimed. "Scratch!"

"Dodge and tackle!" Thuler barked. The previous sequence of events repeated itself, Thuler marveling at the clockwork precision of it. "Water gun!" Kichi fired another burst of water, but the Purrloin dodged it again. "Water gu- DODGE!" The Purrloin raked its claws across Kichi's face. "Tackle!" Thuler ordered. Kichi recuperated enough from the blow to smack the Purrloin across the head with his scalchop. "Tackle!" Thuler ordered again. Kichi full on tackled this time instead, bringing down the Purrloin onto the ground. "Hit him with your scalchop!" Kichi complied and began to whack the Purrloin back and forth.

"I never expected to hear Pokémon say such things..." N said, a sadness in his voice.

"Kichi, back off." Thuler ordered. "Kichi, _Kichi_, Kichi!" Thuler watched Kichi smack the Purrloin, the latter's anguished cries filling the night. "Kichi, back in the ball!" Thuler said, Kichi disappearing into the depths of his battered ball with a slight cry of disappointment.

"As long as Pokemon are confined in Poke Balls... Pokemon will never become perfect beings. I have to change the world for Pokemon, because they're my friends." N said, picking up the Purrloin and petting its head. N walked away wordlessly after this statement, rubbing his Purrloin's head where Kichi had smacked it.

"Your Pokemon all right?" Cheren asked.

"Yeah... he just... he's stubborn." Thuler looked up from the ground. "Any ideas?"

"Well, he just might not respect you as a trainer." Cheren said. "If Bianca caught it for you, its loyalty might lie with Bianca."

"That's the thing. Neither of us captured him. The ball went out of my grasp, rolled around in the wild some, caught him, and then ended up in the pond near your house."

"Huh... It might still be a wild Pokemon in its own mind. Maybe it just follows you because it likes to fight." Cheren said, adjusting his glasses.

"So I have to assert my dominance over him?" Thuler asked.

"That seems likely." Cheren said.

"How could I do that?" Thuler asked.

"Well, you could release him, then recapture him."

"That would be nice, except I don't have any other Pokemon."

"What?" Cheren asked.

"Well, I bought some Poke balls after winning a few victories, about ten of them, or so. After that, I tried catching a Lillipup with them... except..."

"Except what? Oh, wait... they all failed?" Thuler nodded. "Guess you do gave horrible luck." Cheren thought for a little bit. "Listen, here's five Poke balls. Go and try to catch another Pokemon."

"All right, will do."

"Make sure it's strong enough to defeat Kichi." Cheren reminded him. Thuler immediately went out of town, running until he found the tall grass. "Go, Kichi!" Thuler threw the Poke Ball, releasing Kichi.

"All right." Thuler said, watching Kichi look up at him with sad eyes. Kichi really dislike being in the Poke ball. "We're going to catch a Pokemon, but this time we're going to be successful." Kichi brightened up at the prospect of battling. Thuler took a step into the tall grass, watching for any Pokemon. The next step followed, and the next, and the next after that... and the next... and yet another after that one... He started running around in the grass... he screamed and shouted, he waved his hands... nothing. Kichi eventually stopped following him around and sat outside of the grass, breathing bubbles and watching them float around.

"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Thuler finally exclaimed in frustration. He'd been walking around for three hours. Three whole hours. Three. Whole. Hours. Nothing. _Nada_. Zip. Nil. Kichi waded through the grass and pulled on his hand. Thuler looked down, only to see Kichi stick his tongue out at him. "Cheeky son of a gun." Thuler answered and sat down. Kichi reclined against him and sighed. He didn't get the battle he'd been hoping for. But if there was ever a living being with worse luck than Thuler, it was the Lillipup that walked into the sitting pair.

"WATER GUN!" Thuler exclaimed. The poor Lillipup was knocked back by the blast of water Kichi released. Thuler threw his Poke ball, the mechanism snatching the reeling Lillipup into the system. The ball landed, shook once, shook twice, and... shook a final time before clicking. Thuler fell on his knees.

"YES! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" Thuler said, pumping his fist into the air. "Kichi, it's time to show you who is boss." Thuler ran over to the Pokemon center, Kichi hot on his heels. He booted up the PC, then stared at the option. Should he release Kichi? It was a very rare occurrence that he had gotten a Pokemon, never mind a Pokemon like Kichi. But he had a Lillipup now... Thuler hit the release button. Cheren's plan made sense. Kichi looked up at Thuler in shock. He had been released? That meant he could fight whenever he wanted! Kichi immediately ran out of the Pokemon center, glad to be rid of his luckless trainer. Thuler, however, had different ideas.

"All right, this is for sticking your tongue out at me!" Thuler barked, hot on Kichi's heels. "Lillipup, I choose you!" Thuler threw the Poke ball, smacking Kichi in the back of the head. Kichi turned around in time to see the Lillipup materialize. "BITE!" The Lillipup clenched its jaws around Kichi's arm, causing the Oshawott to cry out. Kichi withdrew his Scalchop and smacked the Lillipup across the face. "Tackle!" Thuler ordered, watching the Lillipup knock Kichi to his feet. Kichi was finally free, and he wasn't giving up that easily. A jet of water launched the Lillipup across the field, smacking it against a tree and causing it to faint.

"No!" Thuler exclaimed, watching Kichi run off into the forest. Thuler threw a Poke ball after Kichi, watching it open and drag it into its depths. He knew his plan was madness, but it had to work. Kichi broke free from the Poke ball, but it had given Thuler enough time to catch up. He hadn't been with Pokemon for more than a few days, but he'd watched them tackle each other hundreds of times. Thuler was now betting that if he rammed himself into Kichi, it would have the same effect as a Pokemon ramming into Kichi. Kichi burst free, only to have Thuler's shoulder knock him into the ground. Another Poke ball flew forth and swept Kichi into itself. It didn't even shake once. Kichi broke free immediately with a defiant cry. Thuler didn't know it, but the Poke ball's very programming was working against it in this particular case. It was simulating endless freedom for Kichi once he was absorbed, only encouraging Kichi to break free.

When the Poke ball had first captured him, Kichi had thought it would be a better life. He would have a trainer, he would be able to fight far more often than in the wild. But it hadn't lived up to everything he'd expected. Ghetsis' words were the final straw. Pokemon should be free, not kept in Poke balls all their lives. He was making a move for himself now. But the trainer, almost as stubborn and willful as himself, was still on his tail. Thuler rammed himself into Kichi again, causing Kichi's vision to blur up and Kichi to stumble. Kichi could almost feel his hairs stand up as the Poke ball opened up and dragged him in again.

Thuler stopped and caught his breath as the ball shook three times. He smiled, only to have it fade as Kichi burst out. Kichi jumped into some bushes, so Thuler followed after him. A quick search revealed Kichi under a tree, panting in a panicked manner. Thuler's third Poke ball flew out, capturing Kichi as his eyes went open in fear. The Poke ball shook twice, then Kichi burst out. Thuler's fourth ball flew after him, but he missed the throw and Kichi managed to run away. Thuler followed, and grabbed the fifth and final ball Cheren had given him. He threw it, watched it bounce off the floor, and capture Kichi in midair. The Poke ball rolled down a gulley, ending up at the bottom. Thuler slid down the gulley, cutting up his hands in a bramble and tearing up his clothes. The Poke ball burst open just as Thuler landed on the stream bed. Kichi and Thuler stared at each other as they both lay stood in the stream bed.

"Kichi, listen..." Thuler started, taking a step forward only to find his knee collapse. Kichi turned and tried to run, but he, like Thuler, was too tired. "I think I know why you wouldn't obey me. I was your trainer, you were my Pokemon. It was all _wrong_." Kichi looked at Thuler, watching him fall to his knees. "I'm not coming here to even fight you anymore." Thuler's eyes filled with tears. "We've both been through a roller coaster of emotions in the past few days, but I think we're at the end of the ride. I named you Kichi because it means 'luck.' You are my luck. Before I met you, life just kept throwing things at me, and I could never dodge them." Kichi watched with a puzzled expression as Thuler's eyes got shiny. "I don't want to be the trainer anymore. I don't want you to be just a Pokemon anymore either." Thuler extended his bloody hand. "I want to be your partner. I want us to be equals in this relationship, neither above the other." Thuler's eyes welled up with tears, one of them breaking and wiping off the dirt that had accumulated through their forest run. "I have nothing to offer except for guidance and direction, love and care, and a sense of belonging." Thuler said, getting closer to Kichi. "And all I ask for is the luck you bring me, your power so I can go where I couldn't normally, and your loyalty and friendship in this world where sometimes I feel so alone." Kichi couldn't resist Thuler's outstretched arms anymore.

"I only ask you to enter a Poke ball this once," Thuler said, hugging Kichi close to him, "and then you never, ever have to go in one again." Kichi nodded, and Thuler extended the battered Poke ball that had started it all. Kichi grasped it in his tiny paws, Thuler's palm still supporting it from underneath, and clicked the button out of his own accord. The Poke ball opened, absorbed Kichi, then clicked without even shaking once. Poke balls simulate a situation inside of them that is extremely comforting to the captured Pokemon so that it is less likely to struggle. The ball, obeying its programming, projected the most comforting thing for Kichi to him, and instead of endless freedom, it was now the feeling of being in Thuler's arms.

Thuler let Kichi out of the Poke ball and picked him up, both of them walking back to Nuvema town. They walked into the Poke center, the sight of Thuler's torn and bloody clothing along with Kichi's battered appearance caused the nurse to gasp. Kichi was taken in and put under special care while Thuler washed his own wounds and placed band aids and a bandage when appropriate. Once Kichi was better, he and Thuler walked out and set up camp by the road, falling asleep side by side. The sun shone on the prone partners, waking them both up.

"The nearest gym is at Striaton city." Thuler said, stretching. "We'll head back into town to have some breakfast and then we'll head that way." The morning was uneventful, but Thuler hoped to make it to Striaton city by that afternoon. They headed out and quickly ran across a young boy, about ten years old, polishing a Poke ball. Thuler's eyes met the kid's briefly, and it was on.

"Patrat, I choose you!"

"Go, Kichi!" Thuler exclaimed, Kichi charging forward.

"Growl!" The youngster ordered. Thuler frowned as Kichi was briefly entranced by the Patrat practically purring.

"Water gun!" Kichi fired a stream of water, which glanced off the dodging Patrat. "Water gun!" This time the blow connected fully and the Patrat flew into the tree behind it, causing it to faint.

"Aw, man... You're a strong trainer."

"Don't worry kid," Thuler said, patting the kid on the head, "just keep training and follow your dreams." A few more trainers waited for them along the road, one rather unfortunate lass using a Purrloin among them.

"Thuler! Hey, Thuler!" Bianca called out. Thuler turned around, smiling.

"Hey! How's it going?"

"Very good! My father let me go and I've been traveling around. My Tepig is so much happier now. He even let me keep the Bayleef!" Bianca said. "By the way, this poor Lillipup has been following me around for a while, but when I tried to capture it, it said it already belonged to someone else."

"OH NO!" Thuler exclaimed, horrified. He'd left it fainted by the tree. "I'm so sorry!" Thuler cried as he hugged the wounded Lillipup close. "Please forgive me! I completely forgot about you in the excitement!"

"Thuler, you need to take better care of your Pokemon..." Bianca said.

"It's a very long story..." Thuler said, recounting a less embarrassing version of the previous day's events.

"Oh... still, you should take better care of your Pokemon regardless. Also, tackling Kichi still doesn't seem like the nicest thing to do..."

"I had no other alternatives and I was slightly hell-bent." Thuler said sheepishly.

"Anyways, I was wondering if you'd have a Pokemon battle with me." Bianca said, rubbing her arm and looking down.

"Uh... yeah, sure." Thuler said. "Lillipup, back in the ball. We'll get you to the Poke center in Striaton." Thuler looked at Bianca. "I'm afraid I only have one Pokemon."

"Oh, that's okay. It would be inhuman to make the poor Lillipup fight. Since you're using your starter, I'll use mine!" Bianca said, tugging at something in her bag, then pulling out a Poke ball. The sudden pull made her skip sideways slightly. "Go, Tepig!"

"Kichi, get ready!" Thuler ordered.

"Ember!" Bianca ordered. Kichi took the blast of fire full on, then brushed some ashes from his coat.

"Uh... Bianca. Kichi is a water-type. Fire-type attacks have no effect on him." Thuler commented.

"Oh... uh... Tackle!"

"Dodge!" Thuler ordered. Kichi leaped out of the Tepig's way.

"Bianca, this fight might have been over before it started." Thuler said, Kichi automatically dodging the Tepig's attacks. "See, both our Pokemon are of about the same strength, and water is effective against fire."

"Tackle! So what are you saying?"

"What I'm saying is that unless your Pokemon is a lot stronger than the other one, you probably shouldn't pit it against a type effective against its own. Water gun." Kichi fired a burst of water against the Tepig, knocking it out.

"Oh, Tepig!" Bianca said, rushing in and cradling the Tepig in her arms.

"Now, if your Tepig was, for example, a Pignite, it would have been a lot harder for Kichi to win." Thuler said as Kichi walked to his side again. "Keep that in mind as you plan your fights. Here, how about you walk with me the remainder of the way to Striaton City?"

"Sure." Bianca said, keeping pace with Thuler's slightly longer strides. "Say, Thuler. What's your plan?" Bianca asked.

"I don't know. I was aiming for becoming the region's champion... not much else. After doing that, I figured on sticking around until some other kid defeated me. After that... maybe settle down, become a fisherman or something, maybe get a job at some company."

"Well, I met this woman, Professor Juniper." Bianca said. "She asked me if I would help her complete the Pokedex, and I said yes. I told her about you and Cheren, and she gave me two extra ones. Who knows, maybe you could become her assistant or something."

"Sounds good. A Pokedex would help, and being a professor's assistant would be better than pushing papers." Thuler said, accepting the Pokedex. "Thank you a lot." They had arrived at the city limits, so Thuler turned and looked at Bianca. "The Poke center is supposed to be down the street from here. The gym is nearby, in a restaurant." Thuler looked at Bianca. "It was nice walking with you."

"It was nice walking with you as well." Bianca said. "Goodbye." Bianca hugged Thuler goodbye and headed down the street, towards the trainer's school.

"All right, Kichi." Thuler said, squatting down to the Oshawott's eye level. "Let's go show the gym leader that we're stronger than them."


	4. Striaton City

**Day 3**

Cilan had, as a gym leader, come across some really, really oddball challengers throughout the two years he had been one. The tired-looking young man who came through the doors of the restaurant right now, however, had to have been in the top ten. Despite having two Poke balls in his belt, he kept his two Pokemon outside of their balls. One of them, an equally tired-looking Oshawott with a defiant and feisty look in his eyes, seemed like it wanted to pick a fight with every passerby. The other, a miserable-looking Lillipup, was barely hanging on to the young man's coat, an occasional angry growl erupting out of its mouth.

"Hello," he said, "I would like to challenge the gym."

"Sure about that? You look like you could use a rest." Cilan said. Chili paused playing with his Pansear long enough to look up at the newcomer.

"I promised myself, and Kichi, that we'd get over this gym today," The young man said, "and I always keep my word." Cilan didn't even bother letting him through the initial challengers. Maybe if he beat the young man, he'd be able to convince him to rest some.

"Pansage, I choose you!" Cilan exclaimed. Pansage flew out of his Poke ball and landed in front of the Oshawott. "Vine whip." The Oshawott fainted. The Lillipup took one look at the Pansage and proceeded to run out the door. The young man, too tired to even notice what was going on, blinked groggily twice and promptly collapsed on the floor. "Uh... Crest, call Mary and see if she can help us take care of him at her house..." Cilan said, looking at the sleeping trainer. He noticed that the Oshawott hadn't so much fainted as it had fallen asleep once it hit the ground after being knocked over from the blow. The Lillipup had returned once the fight was over and was biting the young man's black jacket, refusing let go.

.

.

.

Thuler came to in a small cot, the smell of tea infiltrating his nostrils. The house was neat, tidy and very well-kept, not a single sign of decay on the walls, floors, or roof.

"Good morning," a woman said, kneeling next to him. "That was quite a blow your head got when you collapsed."

"Oh... hi," Thuler said, sitting up. "Where am I?"

"You're in my house. My name is Mary, this is my son, Davis, and my husband Clyde is outside," Mary said with a smile. "Davis has really taken a liking to that Lillipup of yours."

"Really?" Thuler asked, crossing his arms. "It doesn't really like me." Thuler pointed to his jacket. "See those tear marks? It's been biting my jacket all the way from accumula town."

"What did you do to the poor thing?" Mary asked, her eyes wary.

"Well, it's a long story." Thuler told her everything that happened up to the fight between the Lillipup and Kichi. "And when he fainted, Kichi started running away and I felt so desperate that he might run away for good I chased after him, and I completely forgot about the poor little guy. He still likes people, he just abhors me in particular."

"Hm..." Mary said. "Maybe if you show that you love him again, he'll start following you and obeying you."

"I was thinking about releasing him, actually," Thuler said, looking up at Mary. "He bites me whenever I come close." Thuler lifted his right hand and showed her the multiple scabs on it.

"Oh my..." Mary said, gasping. "Releasing him might be the best idea in the end."

"Yeah... how long was I out?" Thuler asked. He felt his eyes tear up at the thought of him failing to be a good partner to the Lillipup, but he held the tears back.

"You were asleep for two days straight," Mary said.

"Two days?" Thuler asked in surprise.

"Yes, how long had it been since you last rested?" Mary asked.

"Well... I haven't slept ever since I left Nuvema town."

"What?!" Thuler ducked under the covers in shock at the sudden scream. "Young man, you need some serious rest!"

"I was training up for the gym, and sleep seemed like the easiest thing to give up on to make more time."

"Sleep is one of the most important things for a human, never mind Pokemon!" Mary said. "Where those two up as well?" Mary pointed to Kichi, sleeping with a content look on his face, and the Lillipup, playing with a young boy.

"Yes. Well, the Lillipup mostly just sat around and watched Kichi and I run around."

"Are you one of those people that makes their Pokemon train all night while they rest?" Mary asked in disgust. Thuler stood up.

"I will have you know that I was up and running around with both of them the whole time," Thuler said, his voice even but still brimming with anger, "If I ask my Pokemon go through a hardship, I go through it with them. Pokemon are your partners, not your trainees." Thuler's fists were shaking as they clenched in on themselves. "If you just sit back and watch them, you're no better than those idiots who beat their Pokemon."

"Sorry, I might have misjudged you."

"If I'm going to make my Pokemon stay awake all night, you can be darned sure I'm staying up with them all night also." Thuler bowed down. "Thank you for your hospitality, I'll be going now." Thuler got up, picked up his things, and started walking towards the door. Kichi had woken up and was rubbing his eyes. Once he was done, he looked at Thuler, full of energy and ready to go. The Lillipup was still playing with Davis. "You, stay here." Thuler told the Lillipup. The Lillipup looked at Thuler, trying to decide whether to disobey the order to spite Thuler or stay and play with Daivs. Davis seemed more appealing than Thuler and his commands, so the Lillipup stayed. "Kichi, come."

Thuler ate at the restaurant at the entrance of the gym, then moved up to the first curtain. A giant flame was emblazoned in orange on the red curtain. Thuler looked at the three buttons, and decided that it was likely what would beat the element. He stepped on the water button, and the curtain parted. A waiter waited for him on the other side.

"Hello sir, would you like our most popular dish: _Trainer a la carte_?" The man asked.

"Sure, why not," Thuler said. "Kichi, get ready."

"Go, Lillipup!" The waiter commanded.

"Water gun!" Thuler barked. Kichi rolled sideways, flanking the Lillipup, and blasted it with a burst of water. The waiter ordered his Lillipup to tackle, and the fight started up. Two things became immediately clear: Thuler hadn't spent all that time just battling wild Pokemon. He had drilled Kichi on dodging automatically with each attack he made. Kichi's dodging seemed to match Thuler's thoughts almost perfectly, a connection having been forged between them. Pokemon were very good at perceiving the little things their trainers did for them, such as staying up all night with them. Thuler had proven to be an ideal trainer to Kichi over and over again, and the devotion the little Oshawott showed him could only be explained this way.

The second thing that became apparent was that in the way Kichi had bonded with Thuler, so had Thuler bonded with Kichi. Thuler's style of directing the battle was highly animated, almost imitating Kichi's movements. When Kichi rolled sideways, Thuler would sidestep quickly almost in sync. When Kichi would throw a punch, so would Thuler, when Kichi blasted a water gun, Thuler would punch the air with both his fists. Voice commands were still used, but Thuler seemed to use this active style of fighting because it gave him a better idea of what his Pokemon was going through at the moment and keep the same point of view as it.

The next trainer, standing after a Grass-type curtain, sent out a Patrat that was quickly dealt with thanks to Kichi's already evident agility. The Patrat never got close, Kichi's blasts of water keeping it at a safe distance and Thuler's more animated style of fighting making Kichi dash around the room alongside his partner. The waitress's second Pokemon, a Purrloin, ignited Thuler and Kichi's dislike for the certain Pokemon, and received a far more aggressive rather than evasive. Kichi received a couple more scratches than he would have normally, but Thuler and Kichi were more focused on nailing down that one Purrloin in their memory than winning the fight.

"You fight well, though you got a bit two aggressive in the last one." The waitress observed.

"It's just something personal. Neither of us likes Purrloins." Thuler said, wiping the sweat off his brow and breathing a bit heavily.

"Ah, the infamous thief Pokemon." The waitress observed. "A lot of people don't like them. You also fight in a very animated style. Are you sure you can last until the last fight like that?" Thuler walked over and stood on the grass button, opening up the water curtain.

"If I couldn't make it, how could I expect my Pokemon to do it?" Thuler, however, had still taken off his jacket, now tied around his waist, and had a dark mark that was spreading down the collar of his shirt.

"Welcome to the Striaton City Pokemon Gym," Cilan said, waiting for Thuler at the top of the stairs.

"I'm Chili! I light things up with Fire-Type Pokemon!" A boy about Cilan's age with red hair standing up into flames said.

"I'm a Water-type specialist, and my name is Cress. Pleased to make your acquaintance," Another boy with blue hair that reminded Thuler of the ocean said.

"And my name is Cilan. I like Grass-Type Pokémon," Cilan said. Cilan's hair reminded Thuler of broad-leaf shrubs. "Um, you see... As for why the three of us, um, are all here is, well, er..."

"Oh,enough! Listen up! The three of us will decide whom you'll battle! It'll be based on the type of the first Pokémon you chose!" Chili said.

"That is indeed the case. And the partner you first chose was Water-typed, it seems," Cress observed.

"Nothing personal... no hard feelings... me and my Grass-type Pokémon will...um... We're gonna battle come what may." Cilan seemed a tad bit shy, or at least uncertain about fighting Thuler. "So, um, if you're OK with me, I'll, um, put everything I've got into being, er, you know, your opponent."

"That's fine by me," Thuler said.

"Go, Pansage!" Cilan exclaimed, throwing the Poke ball.

"Kichi, get ready!" Thuler ordered. Thuler watched the green monkey materialize and felt a weight in his stomach.. Water-type moves would be ineffective against it. Thuler watched Cress trigger a mechanism to lower two long screens which filled up with green, indicating each Pokemon's condition. Thuler noted that Kichi's was only 3/4 full from all the exertion leading up to this point and the scratches.

"Vine whip!" Cilan ordered, watching Kichi roll to the side and Thuler launch himself in the same direction.

"Tackle!" Thuler ordered. Kichi dodged right, then left, then right as Cilan ordered his Pansage to vine whip three times. When he got close enough, Kichi kicked the Pansage across the face, then jumped back. Cress watched as Thuler went through the whole movement range, then whispered something in his brother's ear. Cilan immediately began to try to anticipate Kichi's movement using Thuler's, but discovered that while they weren't in sync, there was a slight delay because of Thuler's larger size, so he couldn't rely on Thuler as an indicator. Cilan, however, snapped his fingers as he got an idea by watching Kichi dodge around.

"Razor leaf in a circular pattern!"

"Kichi, back at me!" Thuler's command was still a tad bit too late and Kichi was caught up in a storm of razor leaves as his status bar went down until it was emptied. Thuler ran over once the storm had abated and cradled Kichi in his arms. "I'm sorry, buddy. Maybe next time."

"Sorry about your Pokemon, it seems like..." Cilan started.

"Don't worry, it was a fair fight," Thuler said, getting up and offering Cilan his hand. Cilan shook it. "No hard feelings."

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.

.

Kichi and Thuler sat by the pond, Kichi bathing and playing around while Thuler sat pensive. Kichi was trying to relax after their ninth attempt at the gym, but he was visibly stressed out by the frequent knockouts and not being able to beat the Pansage.

"We need a fire-type Pokemon." Thuler concluded. His wallet was bankrupt, however, so he had no money to buy more Poke balls. He headed back to Mary's house, where he had been staying, and found the family at lunch, which they invited him to join so he sat down after serving himself. Davis, as sneakily as possible, was feeding the Lillipup choice morsels from under the table. Kichi, a more acknowledged member of the household, sat at one of the chairs, drinking apple cider, his favorite drink.

"So, how did the challenge to the gym go this time?" Clyde asked.

"Well, both of our styles have gotten very inbred," Thuler said. "Mine rotates around using tackle and trying to stay out of the range of his attacks, Cilan mostly tries to nail Kichi down with very widespread attacks, just hitting the whole arena in one massive burst." Thuler set down his silverware, his hand clenching into a tight fist. "I already tried training Kichi at the dreamyard, but no amount of training can get over the type advantage, at least not at the power levels both Pokemon are at."

"Have you tried catching a fire-type?" Clyde asked.

"I used my last Poke ball yesterday," Thuler admitted. "It was on a Pansear, but he managed to break out." Truth was, every single Poke ball Thuler had ever thrown in his life so far, except for the Lillipup and Kichi's willing entry into one, had failed. His bad luck seemed out to trip him up. Mary suddenly clutched her silverware, looking down. She seemed to toss around a thought, then settled on it.

"Would you like to trade for your Lillipup?" Mary asked.

"I'm done relying on charity," Thuler said. All of the Poke balls had come out of Mary and Clyde's wallet, and Thuler had made up his mind not to tax the family anymore. "I've already spent most of your money on Poke balls, I couldn't ask for more."

"This isn't a gift, it's a trade," Mary said. "I was born and raised in the Sinnoh region, but I eventually came to Unova looking for opportunity. Over in Sinnoh I never left off when I was ten, I just settled down and learned the family trade, but I got bored and restless so I left for Unova. I want to trade my starter, a Turtwig that hasn't been out of its ball even twice, for your Lillipup. It's mostly sentimental, since Davis has taken a liking to it. Either way, the three times you took it to a gym battle, it attacked you instead of the opponent's Pokemon. Please," Mary said, grabbing Thuler's forearm, "just accept it for what it is. I know it's not a fire-type, but grass on grass is still fairer than grass on water." Thuler looked at Mary, his eyes almost on the border of tears. This family just kept giving him things even though he wasn't even one of their own.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Thuler said, bowing down. Thuler took out the Lillipup's Poke ball, handing it to Mary. "Here's its Poke ball."

"Here's the Turtwig," Mary said, "Now go hand Cilan's own butt to himself with his own medicine."

"My goodness, Mary," Clyde said, "that's hardly good manners."

"So the Lillipup is mine?" Davis asked. Thuler nodded, prompting Davis and the Lillipup to prance around happily.

"I'll never forget this, Mary, Clyde, Davis," Thuler said that afternoon as he left towards the gym. "I'll always remember your kindness!"

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.

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Cilan, Cress, and Chili were playing a three-way game of Rock-Paper-Scissors when Thuler parted the last curtain to the gym, having defeated the underling trainers again. Kichi walked by him, proud and strong, both of their hopes high again.

"Have you come to challenge me again?" Cilan asked, withdrawing his Poke ball with a grin. Something good that had come out of this was that Cilan wasn't nearly as shy anymore.

"Yes, but this time, it's my win!" Thuler said. Chili and Cress looked at each other and smiled. Thuler had come with a deeper and deeper frown for each challenge, but now he was smiling the grin he had come in with on the first day. "Go, Turtwig!"

"Go, Pansage!" Cilan said, the turtle and the ape looking at each other expectantly. "A Sinnoh Pokemon? How did you get that one?"

"Traded it with a friend," Thuler said. "But enough talk, Tackle!"

"Vine whip!" The whip lashed across the Turtwig's back, but not only was it not effective, the turtle tanked the blow and plowed into the Simisage.

"Bite!" Thuler commanded, the Turtwig turned and looked at Thuler. "Attack him with your mouth!" Thuler clarified, noting that the turtle didn't know that move yet. The Turtwig turned and looked at the ape, who vine whipped the Turtwig again. "Tackle and bite!" Thuler ordered, watching in satisfaction as the Turtwig plowed into the Simisage and bit into it. The Simisage cried out in pain as its bar emptied and Thuler had a flashback to the fight with N that worried him. What if the Turtwig wouldn't obey him because it was traded? "That's enough," Thuler said, and the Turtwig turned towards him, sitting down with a contented look, reminding Thuler of a dog.

"Back in the ball, Simisage," Cilan said, "Go, Lillipup!"

"Kichi, strike!" Thuler said. Kichi launched himself from Thuler's shoulders as the Turtwig went back into its ball, and Thuler's almost artistic fighting style resumed as he and Kichi moved in sync. The Turtwig, not as well acquainted with Thuler as Kichi was, didn't have the synchronization Kichi and Thuler shared. "Water gun!" Kichi's blast of water was more than enough to knock the Lillipup out of commission, so Thuler had just won the gym fight.

"Er... Is it over now?" Cilan asked.

"Yup," Thuler said, Kichi poking the limp Lillipup then smiling triumphantly.

"...What a surprise... you've grown a lot stronger... you are now very strong. Seems like not even Chili or Cress could beat you.." Cilan said, looking at Kichi and regaining his sort of shy demeanor again. "Here, Gym Badges are a proof of a Trainer's abilities. If you have one Badge, Pokemon, including traded Pokemon up to Level 20, will obey you without question. We also want you to have this. TM83 contains Work Up. If you use Work Up, the Pokemon's offensive capabitlities go way up! By the way, Technical Moves can be used as many times as you want."

"Thank you," Thuler said, accepting the badge and the TM. "I'm trying to get all the badges from all the gyms so I can challenge the Elite Four, then the champion, and become the champion of the world. Do you have any advice?"

"In the Unova region, we are still novice Gym Leaders. Which means the other Gym Leaders are much stronger than we are. We'll need to work hard and improve." Cilan looked up at Thuler. "_You_'ll have to improve." Thuler nodded.

"I'm heading over to Nacrene City next," Thuler said. "If you ever wanna challenge me again, ring me up on the Xtransceiver."

"Will do," Cress said. "I'd love to challenge a fellow water-type user."

"So long!" Thuler called out to everyone in Striaton, running off into the sunset with the Turtwig in its ball and Kichi running alongside him, heading to Nacrene. It wasn't fair that Kichi had a name but the Turtwig didn't. It had almost seemed like a tank in the middle of the gym fight, taking in all that damage and dishing out equally powerful attacks on command. _Panzer,_ Thuler thought, _your name is Panzer_.

"Hey, Thuler!" Cheren called out from off the road, in the tall grass. "Want to have a Pokemon battle?"

"Sure," Thuler said as he got close. "Go, Panzer!"

"Go, Servine!" Cheren was surprised to see the little Turtwig, a Sinnoh Pokemon, under Thuler's command, but he decided to fight on. Cheren, having been traveling for much longer than Thuler, already had an evolved Pokemon. "Vine Whip!"

"Tank it!" Panzer took the blow on his shell, then slowly started running up to the Snivy. "Razor Leaf!" The Turtwig launched a flotilla of sharp leaves at the Snivy, knocking it down a little. It wasn't the most effective attack, but with Panzer's speed, it was the best they could do.

"Leer!" The Snivy stared down the Turtwig, causing it to inch back a little.

"Back in the ball, Panzer," Thuler ordered, "Kichi, strike!" Kichi launched himself from besides Thuler, who assumed a martial arts pose. "Scalchop!" Kichi withdrew the scalchop and charged in, rolling at last minute to dodge the vine whip. He got close enough, however, and the seashell raked across the Servine.

"You're winning in a type match up, something quite unusual," Cheren said. Thuler was praying that Cheren didn't come up with the same strategy Cilan had. "Leaf sword!" Kichi dodged the Servine's sword, running around alongside Thuler.

"Kick and strike!" Thuler ordered, Kichi rolling in close, delivering a kick to the head, and cutting the Servine.

"You've trained your Pokemon to be very agile and dodgy, so I'll respond with my own!" Cheren said, throwing a Poke ball as he recalled the Servine. "This is Liepard, Purrloin's evolution!" He should not have said that last part. Kichi's speed was matched, along with his agility, so Thuler pulled out Panzer.

"Razor leaf!" Thuler ordered, watching the Liepard dodge it. "Again!" The Liepard dodged again. Thuler ran up next to Panzer. "Razor leaf as I punch!" Thuler's improvised aiming system, much faster than the conventional one, proved to be better due to its slight increase in firing rate. The Liepard was hit once, twice, then it hit Panzer, knocking him back. Panzer, much weaker and smaller than the Liepard, stood up with wobbling knees from the blow. "Form a current of razor leaves around yourself!" Panzer obeyed, a hurricane of leaves preventing the Liepard from getting close. Cheren tried once, twice to penetrate it, but gave up.

"Thuler, ever heard of a double battle?" Cheren asked, pulling out his Servine's ball.

"Yeah, let's go!" Thuler said. "Kichi, strike!" Kichi launched himself at the Servine, winning first strike because of his air position. The Servine was still the faster of the two, and he managed to whip Kichi with his tail twice while they were falling. "Use Panzer's leaf storm!" Thuler ordered. The degree of freedom Thuler gave Kichi in how to carry out a fight made Kichi feel like he was fighting in the wild again, giving him that much more confidence. Kichi decided to use the leaf storm to give his water an extra burst of speed and hit the Liepard with a burst of water. "All right, Panzer, fire everything at the Servine! Kichi, finish it up!" Panzer let loose all the leaves it had been accumulating and knocked back the Servine with just sheer force. Kichi was right behind the leaves and knocked out the Servine for good with a blow from the scalchop. "All right, see that guy? It's a Purrloin!" Thuler told Kichi, pointing at the Liepard. That was enough to let Kichi now what to do. He released his biggest burst of water yet, knocking out the Liepard.

"You've gotten much stronger," Cheren said. "I'm rather surprised that you could pull off beating two second stage Pokemon with your first stage ones."

"It's mostly strategy and coming up with new things on the spot," Thuler said with a smile, "but next time I might not get so lucky. See, now you know what Pokemon I have and what my general strategy was."

"Well, you've got a point," Cheren said. "I guess we'll have to wait until the next one."

"Until the next one," Thuler said, sticking out his hand.

"Until the next one," Cheren agreed, shaking Thuler's hand.


End file.
